


Dealing with Dragons

by Missjlh



Series: Iris Lavellan [4]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Arguments, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:28:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25509016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missjlh/pseuds/Missjlh
Summary: Solas wants to join Iris when she goes to fight Hakkon. Iris objects.
Relationships: Female Lavellan/Solas
Series: Iris Lavellan [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1708531
Kudos: 18





	Dealing with Dragons

“It will be fine, _Vhenan_ ,” Solas says as they wander through the Frostback Basin searching for memories on their way to the sea and Hakkon. 

“No, Solas, it won’t be! You heard Ameridan’s memory; how Hakkon’s presence hurt Telana. You even said it yourself - that as a dreamer Hakkon must have caused her ‘immeasurable pain’. And you want to come with me to fight him,” she crosses her arms and looks up at his face, glaring at him. 

“Someone has to keep you from jumping on the dragon’s back like you did when we fought the Highland Ravager!” 

“That was fuckin’ awesome, Boss,” Bull chimes in, clasping her on the back slightly too hard; she almost, but not quite loses her balance. 

“I’m glad someone respects my techniques,” she says, shooting Solas another glare. 

Solas sighs. “Of course I respect your abilities. It’s your self-preservation I question.” 

“Now, Solas, no need to get worked up. Dearest Iris is offering you an out. You don’t actually have to fight a dragon tomorrow. Wish she’d be so kind as to offer me the same courtesy. Instead I’m to set out into the cold, risking life, limb and my outfit,” Dorian says. 

“Would hate for you to get frost on your outfit, Dorian.”

“Thank you, my girl. It would be such a tragedy.” 

“Think of the benefits, Dorian. Your handsome mercenary can watch your back, defending you from the jaws of a mighty dragon! Imagine the sex you’ll have afterwards!” 

Bull laughs heartily. “And here I thought fighting a dragon couldn’t possibly get better.” 

“Bull is unlikely to want anything to do with a hypothermic Tevene.” 

Iris scoffs. “Now you’re just lacking in creativity, Dorian. You are aware of how people warm those suffering from severe hypothermia? Bodily contact. Nude bodily contact.” 

Dorian looks at her, surprisingly serious and Iris wonders what she’s said to evoke such a reaction. “Of course I do. How do you think you survived your hike through the mountains?” 

“I - suppose I never thought about that. Solas healed me and told me you used your magic to warm me.” 

“And when the well ran dry, so to speak, I slipped into bed with you. Much to the consternation of nearly everyone else, mind you. Nearly caused a scandal. Evidently my preferences were not nearly obvious enough to anyone but you.”

She looks over at Solas who simply nods to confirm Dorian’s story. “I had not realized. Thank you,” she says softly. 

“Could hardly let you die. Life in the south would be so lonely without you. And terribly dull.” Iris nearly jumps into Dorian’s arms, holding him tightly, while he lifts her almost effortlessly and returns the hug. 

They continue hiking and for a time, her and Solas’ argument is forgotten. It’s only when they make camp for the night that Solas approaches her while she’s washing in a nearby creek. She looks up at him and smiles. “Looking for a show?” 

“An enjoyable side benefit.” 

“You’ll find I have a lot of those,” she smirks. 

“I’m aware,” he looks at her, eyes pleading. “Please let me protect you,” he says softly. 

She sighs. “By not letting me protect you. Solas if something happened to you...” 

“It won’t,” he says firmly, taking her face in his hands, leaning down and giving her a kiss. 

“How do you know?” 

“I... just do. Please trust me, _Vhenan_. I know my limits. You do not. Or, rather, do know them but ignore that knowledge because you find it inconvenient.” 

“Because I’m not allowed to have limits! If I don’t close the rifts, stop the bloody nobles from killing each other, slaughter the dragons and defeat Corypheus all of Thedas will fall!” 

“That is what we’re here for! I’m the best mage you have. Allow me to help.” 

Part of her wants to hold her ground, to insist that Solas remains safe at camp. But that’s not who they are. She doesn’t give him orders and that’s not something she’ll start doing today. 

“Will you stand back?”

Solas gives her a strange look. “Why would I possibly consider putting myself at risk by getting too close to a high dragon?” 

That’s definitely a subtle critique of her technique during their last dragon fight. It’s not as if she had a choice; her inferno magic was completely ineffective so she had to get close to offset the inability to fight using her greatest strength. She chooses to ignore it, preferring not to be told she’s reckless. In his view, of course. She had it perfectly well in hand and didn’t even break any bones that time. And Solas healed her burns easily enough.

“Stay back and if it starts hurting you too much, leave and let Bull, Dorian and I handle it.”

Solas pulls her into his arms. “It won’t hurt me,” he murmurs, kissing the top of her head. 

“But you said...” 

“I know what I said. But please, trust me.” 

And she does. There’s no one in Thedas she trusts more than him and Dorian. But sometimes she gets the sense he’s hiding things from her and she doesn’t know what it could possibly be. 

“You’re not allowed to die,” she says firmly. 

“I am not,” he confirms. “Nor are you.” 

Still unclothed, Solas leaves to get her a towel and wraps it around her. There’s a chill in the air this evening and he wraps his arms around her once more, leading her to a large tree. He sits with his back to the trunk and takes her into his lap, where she curls into his chest. 

There are advantages to having a lover so much taller and broader than you. Being enveloped completely when you’re cuddling is one of them. “Dorian will tease us if we fall asleep out here.” 

Solas chuckles; one of her favourite sounds, especially when he’s particularly amused and snorts when he laughs. “I’ll carry you to bed if necessary.” 

“Hadn’t realized that was on offer. I’ll gladly accept.”

Solas runs his fingers through her short hair. “Would you tell me a story, _Vhenan_? Something you saw in the Fade? I love your stories about the memories you’ve seen of Arlathan.” 

“ _Ma nuvenin._ ” 

It doesn’t escape her that when he tells his story tonight, he sounds indescribably melancholy. 

“Do you think it could ever be rebuilt? It would never be the same, but if I could petition the nations to return land to the elves...” 

“I don’t know, _Vhenan_. The humans will not give up their hard-won land so easily.” 

She looks up at him. “When this is over and Corypheus is defeated, let’s run away. Leave and build a home in the woods, just you and me. Dorian and Bull can visit and I can have my garden, and you can journey through the woods in search of new places to dream.” 

His eyes are full of longing and a sadness she doesn’t understand. Solas is often so sad but never tells her why, simply deflecting whenever she asks. “That would be wonderful,” is all he says. 

His response is non-committal; an expression of interest and not a promise. She fears he has a death wish, despite how frequently he lectures her over her own apparent lack of self-preservation. Losing her clan is something she’s already had to endure, and the thought of losing him scares her more than anything she can imagine. 

“ _Ar lath ma_ ,” she whispers into his chest. 

“ _Ar lath ma_ ,” he says in response and that’s enough for now.


End file.
